Significance of CA3 region of hippocampus in memory function

In mobile unanaesthetised adult rabbits, spontaneous single unit activities of CA3 neurons of Hippocampus showed a specific change in firing pattern in response to conditioned stimuli (CS+). This pattern could be correlated with changes in the general behaviour of these animals. Major deafferntation of the CA3 region did not alter the conditioned response, though neuronal firing pattern and behavioural response changed to that of the pre-conditioned state after antidromic stimulation of CA3 region through fimbria. The importance of CA3 region in memory retention process has been indicated in these experiments.